pulled pork question

Toker · November 16, 2010, 08:19:59 PM

Hi, i have a question for you please. I have a butt here ready to be rub for pulled pork but the skin is still on. Should i be better to take it off or can i smoke cook with it? I'M asking because it is my 2ND pulled pork experience only and the 1ST did not have any skin on it. Also on TV, i saw a chef cooking his butt with the skin on, that is why I'M not sure. THX.

DTAggie · November 16, 2010, 08:23:03 PM

Wow, I have never seen a butt with skin on it. Interested to hear about this. Do you have a pic?

Toker · November 16, 2010, 08:25:07 PM

No picture sorry. But after rechecking it is not a butt, it is a picnic roast. 7 pounds.

DTAggie · November 16, 2010, 08:28:32 PM

Still have not seen it. Is it just a thin membrane like on ribs?

classicrockgriller · November 16, 2010, 08:29:42 PM

I would still take the skin off. Will help with smoke penetration.

Toker · November 16, 2010, 08:30:43 PM

No it seems to be the skin you know like on a bellie (piece of meat to make bacon)

seemore · November 16, 2010, 08:33:32 PM

Toker I a was about to tell you that .........never done but NEPA made a ham from 1 last easter
seenore

Toker · November 16, 2010, 10:19:52 PM

OK rind is off but i won't throw it in the garbage. I will keep it cause it is full of fat. After the smoke time is over, i will put it on a rack above the meat for it to drip on the meat for keeping it moister.

Speaking of the meat, it was written picnic shoulder roast on the plastic but certainly not a regular butt. It has a HUGES bone on it. Maybe half of the meat seize is the bone. Also, the piece of meat seems to be 2 pieces separated by a fat vein like on a brisket. So sorry that i don't have a digital camera for you to see. At Christmas i will have one.

Anyway, i don't know what to do with it so i put mustard on it and a dry rub and i think i will treat it like a brisket. I mean, i would cook it until 180-185 IT unless others suggestion ??? Then, i will FTC for a while then, slicing it. Does it sound good enough for you? Don't know what to expect so it will be a good try experience since i have nothing else to do this week.

If any suggestions, feel free to do so. THX

ArnieM · November 16, 2010, 10:52:44 PM

A Boston butt is the shoulder of the front leg down to the elbow. A picnic is from the elbow down toward the foot. They usually come with skin on. It can be cooked with skin on or off but it sounds like you're already committed. :D

It's usually sliced or chunked. It can be pulled but won't work quite as well as a butt. Rub it up with your favorite spices. The recipe below is from the NY Times a while back. It is skin-on and is a pretty standard Puerto Rican dish. If you try the recipe, I'd lighten up on the cumin some.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

January 2, 2008
Recipe: Pernil

Time: At least 3 hours

1 pork shoulder, 4 to 7 pounds (or use fresh ham)

4 or more cloves garlic, peeled

1 large onion, quartered

2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves or 1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ancho or other mild chili powder

1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil as needed

1 tablespoon wine or cider vinegar

Lime wedges for serving.

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Score meat's skin with a sharp knife, making a cross-hatch pattern. Pulse garlic, onion, oregano, cumin, chili, salt and pepper together in a food processor, adding oil in a drizzle and scraping down sides as necessary, until mixture is pasty. (Alternatively, mash ingredients in a mortar and pestle.) Blend in the vinegar.

2. Rub this mixture well into pork, getting it into every nook and cranny. Put pork in a roasting pan and film bottom with water. Roast pork for several hours (a 4-pound shoulder may be done in 3 hours), turning every hour or so and adding more water as necessary, until meat is very tender. Finish roasting with the skin side up until crisp, raising heat at end of cooking if necessary.

3. Let meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting it up; meat should be so tender that cutting it into uniform slices is almost impossible; rather, whack it up into chunks. Serve with lime.

Yield: At least 6 servings.

Habanero Smoker · November 17, 2010, 01:59:29 AM

Quote from: Toker on November 16, 2010, 10:19:52 PM
OK rind is off but i won't throw it in the garbage. I will keep it cause it is full of fat. After the smoke time is over, i will put it on a rack above the meat for it to drip on the meat for keeping it moister.

Speaking of the meat, it was written picnic shoulder roast on the plastic but certainly not a regular butt. It has a HUGES bone on it. Maybe half of the meat seize is the bone. Also, the piece of meat seems to be 2 pieces separated by a fat vein like on a brisket. So sorry that i don't have a digital camera for you to see. At Christmas i will have one.

Anyway, i don't know what to do with it so i put mustard on it and a dry rub and i think i will treat it like a brisket. I mean, i would cook it until 180-185 IT unless others suggestion ??? Then, i will FTC for a while then, slicing it. Does it sound good enough for you? Don't know what to expect so it will be a good try experience since i have nothing else to do this week.

If any suggestions, feel free to do so. THX

As Arnie pointed out, what you have is a picnic cut. You can use the Pork fat from the picnic cut for sausage, but is not the best fat to use for that purpose. What I do with it is render it down to make lard. To make lard place the skin and fat in a skillet add about 1/2 cup of water (the water will evaporate) or a small amount of canola oil, not too much just to cover the bottom of the pan, and render the fat at low temperature. Once the fat has been rendered strain it a few times it a container that has a tight lid and refrigerate for late use. I discard the skin.